Road roller



April 17, 1951 E. D. EKENSTAM 2,549,182

ROAD ROLLER Filed Oct. 15, 1945 a Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. 'mmeafli/rzn/smm E. D. EKENSTAM 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 11, 1951 ROLLER Filed Oct. 15, 1945 .Amn mmm nmlymh EN TOR fizafi [NV fan/A20 .0. .E/(E/VSTAM, BY W April 17, 1951 E. D. EKENSTAM 2,549,182

YROAD ROLLER Filed on. '15, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet s Jim. 4.

INVENTOR. farmeoflf/rgwsmm Arroewfn April 17, 1951 E. D. EKENSTAM ROAD ROLLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 15, 1945 INVEN TOR. AQJWAED 0. E/rEA/sTAM, %BY J W Arrozvsn April 1951 E. D. EKENSTAM 2,549,182

' ROAD ROLLER e Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 15, 1945 J3 O o fire. 6.

ATTOEA/EK ROAD ROLLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 15, 1945 INVEN TOR. .bn/A/za Q f/ravsmM,

Afro/awn Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROAD ROLLER Edward D. Ekenstam, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Southwest Paving Company, Los Angeles County, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 15, 1945, Serial No. 622,303

11 Claims.

substantially a single continuous line extended 5 manual tamping. transverse to the direction of travel. More spe- A further object of the invention is to procifica-lly the invention comprises a road rolling vide a road rolling machine which can be turned malchine in whicht the force-Excitingf wheels or in a very small radtius arid which is operative in rol ers are opera ive upon e sur ace eing places inaccessible o ear ier machines. treated and are all rotatable about axes which lie A still further object of the invention is to within the confines of the wheel of maximum diprovide a new type road rolling which. supple ameter to provide maximum weight concentraments the rolling capabilities of the preceding tion. types and which is particularly adapted to work The use of massive rollers in the surfacing of on driveways, tennis courts and similar spaces of roads has long been a familiar sight. These roll- )5 limited area. ers are usually one of two types. One type com- Referring now to the drawings in which a preprises a relatively small diameter front roller or ferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed: dr m and two relatively large diameter spaced Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a road roller rear rollers or wheels, all of great weight. The constructed in accordance with the present inbody of the machine is supported by the axle vention; between the large diameter rear rollers and the Fig. 2 is a partial view in perspective of one front roller, suitable turning means being proof the masses which gives to the machine its vided by which the front roller is twisted to Weight for its rolling function and which provides change thet 1direction (131i triavel. Thehsegond typlei a iioungerbalancte folr thte seagzficarr glirg platfofi'm; comprises e wo r0 er ype in W ic a sma -ig. is a ver ica sec ion roug he mac ine turnable front roller is combined with a larger upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and discloses the diameter rear roller, the body of the machine power-transmitting belts which function as being supported therebetween, clutches and also the manually operable control The present road rolling machine comprises an means therefor; improvement upon these earlier and bulkier ma- Fig. 4 is a horizontal section upon the line chines. In the road roller constructed in accord- 4-4 of Fig. 3 and shows the power-transmitting ance with the present invention, the mass which means; pr v es the Weight to compress the surfac be ng Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section upon the treated is suspended below the single main axis line 5- 5 1 Fig, 4; 0f the mac i e, b n Supp n by the Weight Fig. 6 is a similar section but upon the line of the rollers themselves. The two principal sur- 5;...5 of Fig 4; and face-contacting rollers or wheels are rotatabl V Fig. 7 is alongitudinal vertical section through about this mam axis and ath rd smaller diameter the machine upon t line f Fig 6" roller rotates about an axls posmoned there The road roller constructed in accordance with below Within the mf? projection the present invention comprises two large diameof mam The dnvmg means for the 40 ter main rollers land 2 of heavy metal which are compnsmg Sultable, engme mounted rotatable about the same longitudinal axis and Wlthm the confines. these mam rollers and the between which is positioned a smaller roller 3 platfqrm from i controls the which is so constructed and arranged as to exert machme are poslgmled lmmtedlgtely g i. substantially the same downward force per unit moun e as 0 6 Su an la y of surface-contacting area as do the larger rollers. orizontal in all positions of the rotating roll- Th 1 m t 11 rs I d 2 are identic 1 ers. The construction is relatively simple and e i m e er m e an a has the inherent advantage of exerting allbf its and 1t 15 .necessary to desqnbe only one 5 them weight along a single line of contact rather than Roller Seen to compnse permanen dividing the weight between two or more lines of nected rlgld plate cap 4 formed Wlth Contact as in the earlier machines central cup portion 6 wh1ch seats a roller bear- It is an object of the present invention to promg 7 Secured y a nut the scl'ewthreaded v a and i plified road rolling machine reduced end of the mainshaft 9. The roller having features not found in earlier and more and 2 are p interiolly but are Closed at then eumbersome maehines, outer sides by the end plates 4.

It is another object of the invention to provide a road rolling machine which is capableof operating immediately adjacent to vertical walls and curbs, thereby eliminating the n e cessity for While these rollers or drums are made of ex ceedingly heavy and strong metal and are rigid, itis nevertheless desirable to provide bearing supporting means at their adjacent ends, and these means are provided by radially extending spiders or arms II which at their central junction carry a sleeve bearing i2 which rotatably seats upon the shaftB. Rollers H3 at the outer ends of arms H- are formed with peripheral channels which ride upon a guide ring or band i4 permanently aifixed' to the interior surface of the roller rim. 7

While the rollers or Wheel i and 2 are exceedingly heavy, it is desirable that they exert even greater weight downwardly upon the surface being treated. To provide this additional weight, and to maintain the machine in an erect position, counterweights l6 and il are provided, one being positioned within the'confines of each roller. Weights it and ii are connected by rods it at their adjacent sides where each is also connected, as by a plurality of rivetslii, to the lower pair of arms i I.

' Formedintegrall'y at the outer sides of each of the weights it and i'i-is'an enlarged bearing cup 2! which encloses the outer race of'a bearing 22-, the inner race of which seats upon the cup 6 formed in the roller end plate 4. The ball bearing 22 and the; sleeve bearings i2, positioned at the opposite sides of each roller, provide means by which weights and ii are enabled to remain in their lowermost position below the supporting axle 9 and independent of the rotation of the rollers I and 2 and also independent of any rotation of the shaft 9.

The smaller intermediate roller or wheel 3 is seen most clearly in Fig. '7 to be positioned longitudinally between the larger rollers i and 2 and to be rotatably mounted by means of a shaft 23 and bearings 25, each bearing being positioned in a block 25 slidably seated in an arcuate groove or' seat 21' formed in th weight l6; Blocks 26 atthe ends of the shaft 23 are adapted to slide in their supporting channels 2'": so that regardless of the position of the weights within the supporting rollers. l and 2, the central roller 3 may at all times .move: relative thereto so thajtits pe-' ripheral surface will rest upon the underlying roadway.

The driving motor for the road roller constructediin accordance 'withjthe present invention is positioned within one of the main rollers and, in

t he illustrated'embodiment, within roller I. The

motor is indicated generally by the reference character 3! and is seen to be carried by brackets 33 secured to theadjacent bearing cup 2! of the mass it. The motor 3| may be of any well known type, such as gasoline or Diesel, and includes a clutch 34 and a multi-speed transmission 36. The drive shaft 3'! carries a sprocket gear 38 which is connected by a chain 39 to a gear 4! affixed to and rotatable with main shaft 9. Gear housings 42, formed of spaced side walls 43, are. carried at the inner sides of each of the rollers l and 2 by the spider arms II. The gearing within these housings is identical and only the unit for the roller I will be described.

Within the gear housing 52 of roller l is positioned .a driven gear 44 carried by shaft 9 and belt 52 driven by gear 48 drives the pulley 53 carried by a shaft 54*supporting a pinion 51. Forward pinion 56 meshes directly with a ring gear 58 mounted upon the inner peripheral surface of the roller I, while pinion 51 is spaced from ring gear 58 and instead meshes with a second pinion gear 6|, carried by a shaft 62, which in turn meshes with the ring-gear 58.

It is clear from a consideration of the gear trains that pinions 56 and 51 rotate in the same direction while pinion 6| rotates in the opposite direction. It follows that only one of the belts 52'of the pair of belts: connected to either roller l or 2' can transmit power at any one time. Accordingly, belts 52 are adapted to ride freely upon the driven pulleys 53 in the absence of a tension which may be placed therein by the operator by suitable means which comprise at the belt end idler pulleys 55 and 58 suitably mounted upon levers 61 and 69. The application of a belt-tensioning force by the idler pulley 63 carried. by lever arm 69. causes the pinion 53. meshing. di-- rectly with the. ring gear. 58.to be operated. With the main shaft fl'rotating in the direction of the arrows indicated in Figs. 3v and 6, the roller I will be driven in a. counter-clockwise direction and the machine will move rearwardly. With tension applied throughidler pulley 65 to. the. belt 52 which resultsin the rotation of the pin-' ion gear 61 theroller'l willbe driven in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3 and. 6, and" the machinewill move. forwardly. As previously stated, the power transmitting nd control means for the individual rollers I and 2' are identical.

The operators platform on the top of the machine is indicated by the. reference character. ll and is seen to carry the drivers seat I2. and to surfaces of the weights. l6 and ll. brackets are c learlyillustrated in. Fig. 2 in connection with the weight It, and. itis' to benoted that'the weightsbeing. suspended below theaxle 1 9,. function as counterweights to hold theplat.- form H in its position above-the rollers. A plu- V rality of control levers eXtend'upwardly-through the platform ltto. position-adjacentthe drivers seat 72 including manually operable levers l4 and i6 rigidly connectedto the levers 6 7 and 69, respectively, which carry the idler pulleys 66 and 53. Levers T4 and TGare biasedforwardly by springs ill; one of which is shown in Fig. 3. The exertion by the operator of a rearward force upon either of these two leverscauses'that roller,

either I or 2, to be driven in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings; that is, causes the machine to move forwardly. Iievers 14" and 76 are therefore the forward control levers: Foot pedals H and 78 are rigidly connected to the levers 69 carrying the idlerpulleys 6.8, and aforward force exerted upon either causes the belt 52 to be tightened and rotate the forward pinion V which are connectedto the transmission 36 and the clutch 34, respectively;v of the drivingmotor 3| and which perform the control operatioBS indicated by their names in. the common and well known manner characteristic of the automobile. There is also provided, and in a position readily available to the driver, a motor-speed controller 83 by which the revolutions per minute of the motor 3| can be controlled in order to increase or decrease the speed of the machine.

To aid in the removal of foreign material which inevitably adheres to the road-contacting surfaces of the rollers and 2, there are provided water-containing reservoirs 86 below the platform 1| and above the rollers. Scrapers 81 extend downwardly from the lower extremities of these containers into scraping contact with the roller surfaces, and apertures 88 provide for the escape of water from the containers onto the adjacent surface to aid in the dislodgment of the material. As the small diameter central roller 3 is not contacted by the scrapers 81, it is provided with its own individual scrapers 9| carried by the weight-connecting arms I8 previously described.

The operation of the road roller constructed in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

Let it be assumed that the driving motor 3| is turning over, having been started by suitable starting means which form no part of the present invention and which may be of any ordinary and well known type. Let it also be assumed that the motor-controlling clutch lever 8| is in the neutral position and that the roller-controlling levers 14 and 76, and pedals H and 18, are in their inoperative positions in which no power is transmitted by the driving belts 52 and the machine is standing still. i

The operator desiring the machine to move forwardly first operates the motor clutch lever 8|, much as the clutch pedal is operated in the ordinary automobile, and moves it to clutch-open position and then shifts the gear shift lever 82 into its low speed position. The operation of the motor and the closing of the clutch 34 causes the motor shaft 31 to rotate at a speed determined by the setting of the gear shift lever 82. Shaft 31 rotates pinion 38 which through the chain 39 drives the gear 4| and the shaft 9 rotates in its bearings I entirely free from the rollers. The gears 44 of course rotate with the shaft 9 to drive the gears 41 and 48 and make available the motors power at the pulleys 5| which seat the belts 52. By pulling rearwardly upon the levers l4 and 16, the operator tensions the belts 52 which drives the pinion gears 6| to cause the rollers and 2 to rotate clockwise, as viewed in the drawing, to move the machine in the forward direction. As the machine picks up speed, the operator operates the motor clutch lever 8| and the gear shift lever 82 to shift the motor into high speed operation in the common and well known manner characteristic of automobiles. Obviously, if he desires, the 'operator can retain the motor at any speed of operation.

Let it now be assumed that the operator .desires to turn the machine slightly to the "right or to the left. As viewed in Fig. 1, if the opera tor desired to turn to the left, he would release the pull upon the lever 14 while holding it upon the lever 16. The roller 2 would continue to be driven by its tensioned belt 52 while roller I would lose its driving force as its belt 52 lost its tension. With driving force present only in wheel 2 the unit would turn to the left. By causing rollers or 2 to rotate simultaneously to move in a straight line or in a curved path. Should the operator desire to reverse the direction of travel, he releases the forward control levers l4 and 1G and instead exerts pressure upon the pedals l7 and 18. As previously described, this tensions those belts 52 which causes the pinion 56, in direct contact with the ring gear 58, to rotate and the machine moves rearwardly. Turning the machine while moving in the rearward direction is analogous to turning when moving forwardly, the difference bein only in that the foot pedal 11 and 18 are operated.

rather than the hand levers 14 and 16. It will also be evident that the machine may be spun on its vertical axis by causing one of the rollers and 2 to move forwardly and one of said rollers to move rearwardly.

In all movements of the machine, the central roller 3 rides along upon the surface between rollers and 2. Assuming even a very steep incline in which the massive counterweights 6 and I! would be angularly spaced relative to a plane through the axle 9 and the line of surface contact of the rollers and 2, it is still possible for roller 3 to ride in contact with the surface, for its supporting shaft 23 is free to move, its bearing-carrying blocks 26 being slidable along the guideways 21 formed in the weights l6 andv l1.

The rolling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that there are no laterally extending portions or extra or other balancing means outside the horizontal extensions of the rollers, as is clearly evidenced from a consideration of Fig. 7. The rollers and 2 can move up against and into contact with a vertical wall to compress the roadway surface adjacent thereto, thereby eliminating all necessity for manual tamping. As previously mentioned, the entire Weight of the machine is concentrated within a small space to act vertically downwardly at the line of surface contact to insure that the greatest possible compressing force will be exerted for a given weight.

While the particular apparatus herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, and that I do not mean to limit myself to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A road rolling machine comprising a pair of spaced heavy rollers, a main shaft about which said rollers are rotatable and which maintains them spaced and in alignment, weights positioned within said rollers and suspended from said shaft, with each weight being provided with a vertically extending slot, a small diameter idler roller positioned between said spaced rollers with its shaft slidably mounted in said slots to enable it to contact supportin surfaces of various inclinations, a platform positioned above said rollers, and brackets extended between said spaced rollers and supportin said. platform on said weights, whereby said platform is maintained in a substantially horizontal position,

2. A rolling machine which includes: a shaft; a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted onsaid asrra'isa v gear: provided. on the interior'surface ofeach: of

saidzrollers; gear advancingand. reversing means 7 engaging each. ofsaidlring-rgears; a. pluralityof..'

whereby said. rolling machine may advance or. I

reverseand be. guided byv varying thespeed of. rotation of each of said rollers; a plurality of weights; with. each of. said weights non-rotatably supportedlfromsaid. shaft in one. of saidrollers; a vertically movable shaft disposed between each two of 'said'weiglits; and an idling roller rot-atably mounted oneach of said vertically movable shafts.

B'LA'rolling machine which includes: a plurali'ty of rollers; a motor; a variable speed power" transmitting means between said motor and. said rollers, with each of said rollers adapted to rotate at a speed independent of the speed of the balance of said rollers; operator supporting means; a weight non-rotatably supported inside said rollers; and withsaid operatorsupporting means aflixed thereto, said" weightbeing sufficiently heavy to act as a counterbalance in. maintaining said operator supporting means in a substantially. predetermined position; meansv for. controlling said power; transmittingmeans. positioned operable fromsaid operator supporting meansfiwhere by the operator may guide said rolling machine by varyingzthespeed of rotation of said rollers; a vertically 'movable shaft supported between each twoof said weights; andan idling roller rotatably mounted on each of said vertically movable shafts.

4. A rolling machine whichincludes: a shaft; a. plurality of rollers rotatably mountedon said shaft; a. motor; transmission means for impartingthe rotation of saidmotor to said shaft; independent variable speed transmission means between'said shaft and each of said rollers; an

' operators platform, a weight non-rotatably'sup ported inside said rollers, and with said platform affixed thereto, said weight being suiiiciently heavy to act as a counterbalance in maintaining saidplatform in a substantially horizontal position; and lever'means operable from said platform adapted to control said variable speed transmission means whereby-the operator may guide. said rolling machine'from said platform; a vertically movable-shaft supported between each two of said Weights; and an idling roller rotatably mounted on each of said vertically movable shafts.

5. A rolling machine which includes: a'shaft;

apair of rollers rotatably mounted upon said shaft; amotor; transmission means for impart s shaft for'said idlingrrollertoxrotat'e on; witlrsaidl shaftzbeing, supported vfrom said-:weight':

6i. Amollingxmachinea which-includes; a shaft: a. plurality 'of rollersrotatably mounted. on; said;

sh'aftpa.motor:;.ttransmissio1r means for impart.--

ing rotationfrom'. said motor. 'to. said shaft; a. ring, gearfprovided on the interior. surface of each'iofi said :.rol-lers'; gear: advancing. and reversing ,means engaging i each::of.;said vring: gears; 21;. plurality of; drivinggears supported on saidlshaft; apair of: driven gears. engagingeachof. said: driv-ingzgears; belt means.. connecting." said 1 gear advancing and. reversing: means with; said. driven gears; weight means: nona-rotatably' contained. inside said rollers; an. operators: platform supported from; said Weight. meansf-and. adapted to be heldin; a; substantially? horizontal positiorr. thereby; :means operablexfronr. said "platform for. regulatingii the tension oneach. of .said belt :means :whereby said; rolling; machine'- can .be .made. to advance: or re verserand be guided. .by' varying. the; speed of rotation of each of said rollers; an idling rollerdisposedbetween each two "of. said rollers; anda verticallymovableshaft mounting; for; each. of said idling rollers.

LA: rolling machine whichincludes: a plurality of spaced-rollers; a motor; avariablelspeed power transmitting. meansbetween ,saidmotor andisaidtrollers, with eachof i saidrollers adapted. to: rotate at; arspeed independentz'of the speed of the balance. of said rollers; a weightznon-rotatl-"- ably supportedin each of said rollers; .a vertically movable shaftsupported between each two of said. weights;v an idling-roller rotatably supported orreach: of. said shafts; operator supporting means affixed to said weight andlheldiinza substantially predetermined position thereby; and" means for controllingsaid. power transmitting; means. positionedoperable from said: operator supporting meanswhereby-the operator may guide said roll.- ing machineby varying, the speed of rotationof' said rollers.-

8. Av rolling machine. which includes; a. plur'alityof spaced rollers; a motor; a. variablespeed powerstransmitting means between said. motor.

and said rollers; with .each of,said rollersadapted to rotateaat a speed independent of the speedrof the? balance-of said rollers weight non-rotatably supported from said shaftin each of saidrollers,.. with; the ends of each of "said weights. being provided with a vertically: extending; Chan-- nel,;: a. shaft. extending between; each. of; said weights. and vertically movable: in: said channels;- an intermediate" roller rotatablysupported on each. of said. shafts. to :provide said machine; with full rolling contact with the? roller: surface; operator' supporting means aiiixed to, said weight and. held; in; a substantially predeterminedxposie tion. thereby; and: means foricontrollirig said power transmitting means: positioned. operable from said operator'supporting-L means whereby theroperator. may guidesaid rolling machine. by

trolling said power transmitting means whereby the speed of rotation of each of said motor driven rollers may be varied and said rolling machine guided.

10. A rolling machine which includes: a shaft; a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on said shaft; a motor; transmission means for i111 parting the rotation of said motor to said shaft; independent variable speed transmission means between each of said rollers and said shaft; a weight non-rotatab1y supported in each of said rollers; a vertically movable shaft supported between said weights; an intermediate roller rotatably mounted on said weight supported shaft and providing said machine with full rolling contact with the rolled surface; and means for operating said variable transmission means whereby the speed of rotation of each of said motor driven rollers may be varied and said rolling machine guided.

11. A rolling machine which includes: a shaft; a pair of laterally spaced rollers rotatably mounted on said shaft; a pair of segmental cylindrical shaped weights, each of said weights being clis posed inside one of said rollers and non-rotatably supported from said shaft; a substantially horizontal shaft movably supported between said weights; an intermediate roller rotatably sup ported on said shaft; a motor rigidly supported from one of said weights; chain transmission means for imparting rotation from said motor to said shaft; a ring gear provided on the interior surface of each of said rollers; gear advancing and reversing means engaging each of said ring gears; a pair of driving gears supported on said shaft; a pair of driven gears engaging each of said dIlVlIlg gears; belt means connecting said gear advancing and reversing means with said driven gears; a pair of spiders for reinforcing said rollers, each of said spiders being affixed to one of said weights and having a plurality of radially extending arms; a plurality of rolling members, each of said rolling members being rotatably supported from one of said arms and engaging the interior surface of one of said rollers; an operators platform supported from said weights and held in a substantially horizontal position thereby; and lever means operable from said platform for regulating the tension on each of said belt means whereby said rolling machine may be advanced, reversed or guided by varying the relative speed of rotation of said motor driven rollers.

EDWARD D. EKENSTAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 336,440 Sawyer Feb, 16, 1886 572,447 Puffer Dec. 1, 1896 1,035,335 Findlay Aug. 13, 1912 1,246,695 Ammann Nov. 13, 1917 1,299,178 Hanson Apr. 1, 1919 1,313,095 Lauterbur Aug. 12, 1919 1,357,571 Knepper Nov. 2, 1920 2,245,865 Le Tourneau June 17, 1941 2,440,585 Hutchinson Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 421,438 France Dec. 22, 1910 44,864 Denmark Nov. 6, 1931 52,420 Denmark Nov. 30, 1936 

